Decade of Uncertainty
by CherryMountain
Summary: Henry left Storybrooke and his family at fifteen. He didn't intend to be gone for so long, but it's been ten years. Going to Storybrooke was not an option. If they wanted to see him, they would have to come to him. But something is keeping them from leaving, and only Henry can save them from a life without knowing each other. He is the only one that can, but can he believe?
1. Weighted

Summary: Henry left Storybrooke and his family at fifteen. He didn't intend to be gone for so long, but it's been ten years. Going to Storybrooke was not an option. If they wanted to see him, they would have to come to him. But something keeping them from leaving, and only Henry can save them from a life without knowing each other. He is the only one that can save them.

**Posting to see if anyone is interesting. If not, I'll understand and probably delete it.**

**This story is set somewhere after the show ends, but with my own twist. Henry, at fifteen, left his family, and Storybrooke, to live a normal life. He needed real friends that weren't fairy tales, even if he would have much rather preferred to live in the Enchanted Forest. Emma and Regina thought that he was only going through a phase, and let him leave. But now it's been over ten years, and Henry is pissed because his family hasn't even come to get him.**

**This idea literally came to me out of nowhere, within about five minutes of sitting in Study Hall with nothing to do, and as I started writing it down it just became awesome. Not many people have Henry stories, and even mine is OOC. Heads up, I'm actually calculating the time lapse's, so everyone will know. The beginning- no, scratch that- the whole story is going to be odd. Henry doesn't know how to save his family, mostly because I don't know how to write it! I will over time, though, promise.**

**Before we start, I'd like to point out that this has Captain Swan and Outlaw Queen, just to let everyone know. Swan Queen is alright, but the show already proved that Regina's True Love is Robin, so she's with him. The first chapter is showing the readers how Henry has changed, and how he thinks now. But don't worry, he won't be OOC for long.**

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**Boston, Massachusetts. August, 13th, 2026**.

Henry Mills had once been a believer. When he was ten, he was a miserable kid with an evil adoptive mother. It had taken him years to find his biological mother, and at ten, he finally did it. He found her and brought her to Storybrooke to save the people there. Somehow, the kid knew that only the Savior could save them from a horrible and clueless immortality. So many things had happened since then, and so many had changed. Evil queens turned good, suspicious bail bonds persons became open minded, beasts and pirates became heroes, the scared grew confident and safe, and the worrisome were calmed.

They had gone on so many quests, but after their lives had settled down, nothing happened. They stayed in Sotrybrooke, because it had somehow become their home.

That was when Henry grew up, and yes, he had believed, but he didn't want to. Not anymore. He had been a kid. Kids weren't supposed to get kidnapped, almost killed, and see those things, lose the people he loved. His childhood had had adventure, but he realized that he wanted to know what a simple life was.

His mother, Emma, had always wanted that for him. She had always wanted him to return to New York after that missing year, where he had believed that fairy tales hadn't existed. She was right; it had been his best year. People always wanted what they couldn't have.

Though Henry knew he couldn't have it, he still strived for it. He left that life behind, and built a new one. Of course, his family had wanted to come with him, but he had told them that he just needed some space. A week, he had told them.

Ten years later, Henry still believed. He just wished he didn't, because then life would be so _normal_. No, it would be easy. Easy was never a possible for people like him, for Storybrookers.

His new life wasn't as great as he thought it would be. By now, he had hoped that he would be living in a house, paying off all the mortgages, not worrying about any debts or bills. Yeah right. Instead, he lived in a shitty apartment with a roommate- Steve- that was rarely home, so he pretty much lived alone. As to be expected, Steve still had all his crap everywhere. Henry assumed that the two of them were never home at the same time. Steve did work nights, and Henry days.

The fridge was the place where they told each other where they were. They texted, too, but since phones were frowned upon at work, it rarely happened. Henry got the occasional drink with Steve at the bar down the street, and when they were both home at the same time Steve was an excellent cook. Other than that, Henry never knew where the guy went unless he wrote it on the fridge. The notes mostly consisted of:

_Mills_

_My friend from New York, the hot redhead? She's in Boston for the night. I'm staying the night, so you have the place to yourself._

_Why don't you call up that chick from work? Stacy? _

_She's into you, man. Take a break for once. Enjoy life._

_Trenton_

But Stacy had a boyfriend now. It's not like Henry pursued that type of relationship anyway. He felt like, if got attached, and his family finally contacted him, that he wouldn't go to them, because he would have family here. That he would be torn.

Thinking of his family always turned Henry down bad roads. He needed a drink.

It was at the bar that Henry saw him.

Henry worked as a bookkeeper down at the local library. The pay was good there, but not enough for him. So he made extra cash at the bar, playing others at pool. Over time, he had become popular, and people showed up just to see if they could catch him playing, or even try to play him. Others made bets, and at times, so did Henry. The cash was good, and enough for him to go out every night instead of cooking.

It was only on the weekends that people showed up to play him, but on Thursdays, the place wasn't as crowded. Sometimes, it was even dead.

Henry sat at the bar, waiting for anything interesting to happen. He thought about playing pool, but no one around seemed to be into it. The bartender was nonchalantly wiping down tables, the TV was on in the corner, showing some rerun of a soap show. An elderly man sat at the other end of the bar was eating some chicken wings. Nothing was really happening.

Henry though that maybe luck would turn in his favor if he found the dice alley, where low lives from across the city gathered to make money. Henry chuckled, feeling his own die in his pocket. He had been down there a few times, and had even become well-known there. He didn't look menacing, but over the years, he had been in enough fights to learn to take care of himself. His jacket even had a cut in it from a knife fight a few years ago, one that almost cost him his knife. Luckily, there had been others that stood up for him.

The former Storybrooker could make easy money down at dice alley, especially since he had his own set weighted. Killian had taught him it years ago, despite Henry telling him that it was cheating. Now, it had saved him from poverty a few times.

But the name Killian once again spoiled his mood. What parents didn't call their son, not even to check up on him? The first year, he had at least assumed that they would have called a month later, or even for the holidays, but no. Weeks turned into months, months turned into a years, and years turned into a decade. His family had abandoned him just as much as he had them. If they wanted to see him, they would have to come to him.

Henry ordered a drink from the bartender. He had told himself that he didn't need them, not when he lived like so many other Americans. If they could do it, so could he. He didn't need a family, and he didn't need magic.

The bartender silently set a glass down in front of him, then returned to his work. The TV continued to buzz in the background, and as he lifted the glass, the ice clinked inside, stirring his bourbon. There wasn't really anymore noise in the bar but the occasional sigh or cough.

A ringing of bells sounded at the door, alerting the bartender of another customer.

Henry didn't bother to look. In a city this big, it wasn't as likely that he would know who it was. The man- as Henry could tell by the voice- spoke to the bartender, who had silently asked him if he needed anything. "I'll take whatever kind of soda you have."

The bartender grumbled as he nodded and moved behind the bar. Henry scoffed in amusement. This person was either underage or drove here. Who doesn't buy a drink at a bar? Or he was a recovering alcoholic. Either way, he found it funny.

However, he didn't find it funny when the newcomer came up to the bar and sat two seats down from him. Henry instinctively shifted to the edge of his seat. Out of all the stools at the bar, the man had to sit pretty much right next to him.

Henry took a swig of his drink and took a glance at the newcomer out of the corner of his eye. A black pea coat, Henry saw. Who wore pea coats anymore?

The bartender set the brown soda down in front of the newcomer, but he didn't immediately take it. He thanked the man, and Henry could see that the newcomer kept glancing towards him.

Henry once again shifted, but this time to position his feet on the bar stool. If he needed to get off it for any reason, he was ready. What he wasn't ready for was the newcomer to know his name.

"Henry Mills."

He said it like he knew him, like the two had been old friends and he was….

Henry looked up, the words _Do I know you?_ about to roll off his tongue before his gaze landed on the man's face. He looked exactly the same as he had ten years ago. He didn't even know if he looked like he aged. The same curled brown hair, stubbled chin; he even had the same weird scarf around his neck, the loose strands tucked into his coat. Henry thought he'd ever see this man again, but here he was. Jefferson: the Mad Hatter.

Henry got over his surprise quickly. "What the hell are _you_ doing here? You finally get to see your daughter again, and you're _here_?" He turned with an appalled laugh and swallowed the rest of his drink.

The man glanced at Henry's now empty glass. "You've really let yourself go, kid. I never pictured you as a drinker."

Henry glared. "I'm not a kid anymore. And really, I'm not the one that stalked his own daughter for-"

An unamused laugh escaped the Hatter's lips. "You don't get to talk about my daughter, not when you up and left us for ten _years_." He glared back, and that popped a bubble of anger inside the young man. "What's it to _you_?"

Jefferson glanced around, to see who was listening, when he lowered his voice. It was laced with anger and betrayal. "You don't even know what happened. When you left, things got bad. Another curse was cast, and everyone lost their memories. Even the Evil Queen and Rumplestiltskin. All expect me. _Again_." His glare deepened, and he knew that Henry was now listening.

"It gets worse. He has my daughter. It's been teen years. I thought you would have come back, but ten years! Last time I at least got to see my daughter, but now I have no idea if she's okay. Trust me, I've tried everything. The Sheriff even threw me in jail a few times when I tried to convince her that he was the Savior and needed to save me daughter. I am only "mad" after all."

Henry stared blankly at the man. A curse had been laid upon Storybrooke again? Was that why they hadn't contacted him? How could it have happened? "Holy shit."

"Holy shit is right," Jefferson said as he stood. In a swift motion he pulled out his wallet and set a few bills down next to his untouched drink. His voice still remained angry as it returned to normal vocal volume. "You're coming back to Storybrooke because you're the only one that can save them. My daughter's life rests in your hand, Truest Believer."

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_Anyone interested?_


	2. The Clock Tower

**I was told that Chapter 1 alone is boring, so here's Chapter 2. I was planning on posting Tuesdays and Fridays, and may still do it, but then again I could always post randomly. Never know.**

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**Storybrooke, Maine. April 5th, 2016.**

Emma stared down at her son with a shocked frown. Henry had just told her that he wanted to go back to New York, to live a normal life. Years before that, he had told her the opposite, that he had belonged in Storybrooke. Now, he wanted to get away from curses and villains that tried to kill him. He wasn't some character in a book.

"Henry, I thought you loved it here. I don't understand."

He closed his eyes for a moment. "No, I guess you don't. What you do understand is that you know what it's like out there. I can't live here anymore. You wanted the same for me before."

Her mouth fell open again, probably for the fourth time since he told her that he was leaving. "We're safe now, kid. We-"

"We don't know that for sure! Another villain could come any day! You may say that we're prepared, but we're not. Each villain we've faced so far has had a different agenda, and it takes so long to figure out what they want and how to stop them." He rose his hands in anger.

"We've always stopped them."

"I just want to live a normal life." He looked away. "You don't have to come."

"You'll never have a normal life because you're the son of The Evil Queen, your mother is the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming, and your father was the son of Rumplestiltskin. And you can't tell others because they'll think you're crazy! You'll never have a normal life out there because you won't be who you really are."

That didn't matter. Henry knew what he wanted, and she certainly wasn't going to stop him. Regina had convinced Emma. "Just give him some time. When he's ready, we'll get him."

**Somewhere in New Hampshire. August 13th, 2026.**

"It took me years to find you. Do you know how many Henry Mills' are in this goddamn country? And you had to go and have your name Henry Cassidy in the phone book. Smart." The Mad Hatter couldn't quit mumbling about how difficult his life had been the last ten years.

The two were in Jefferson's car, on their way to Maine. It took only a half hour for Henry to grab a bag and stuff most of his clothes in it. Now they had been on the road for a while. Henry didn't feel like talking, though he did want to know everything that happened. "Jefferson. Storybrooke."

The man in the driver's seat grimaced. "Right. Of course. I forget that you don't know, you know, because I haven't seen you in ten years."

Henry rolled his eyes. "I already told you: I'm sorry."

The Hatter shook his head, and mumbled something about his daughter. However, he gave Henry what he wanted. "It's like the first curse. You were there for that one, right?" Before Henry could growl at him to shut up, he continued. "No one remembers who they really are. They all think they've spent their whole lives in Storybrooke. I tried finding the True Loves. Your mothers, Snow and the prince. I figured that True Loves Kiss would fix everything, but they don't know that they're True Loves or whatever, so it didn't work."

Henry looked out the window aimlessly. A water droplet appeared, followed by another. Of course it would rain. "That doesn't make any sense. True Love's Kiss is supposed to break any curse."

"It breaks a curse laid on them, as I figured out. This curse, like the first one, was placed on all of them. The only thing that can break it is the Savior." He glanced over at Henry. "Since the Savior doesn't remember anything, she can't save us."

The young man looked back towards the driver. "How do you know all of this?"

Jefferson continued to look where he was driving, but he glared. "I had _ten years_ alone, remember?"

"Right," Henry said quietly.

"Besides, True Love's Kiss didn't work because they don't know what it is. They don't believe in it, and so if they don't believe, it can't work. In this world, there is no such thing as True Love. Well, there could be, but not many people see it that way. They call it 'soul mates,' but I don't see how it's any different."

"Do you know anything about this curse? Why it was cast? What it's for?"

He shook his head. "I searched in all of Regina's books. The ones I could read, anyway. I don't know how he cast the curse, and I don't know why I was the only one unaffected."

"It only took me a year to figure out that everyone was a fairy tale character. How come no one has figured it out yet?"

"Because they don't believe, kid. They think their fake memories are real. There is no way they'll believe in magic, let alone that they're from the Enchanted Forest."

"I'm not a kid. I'm twenty-five."

"And I'm almost eighty."

Henry rolled his eyes. "So you think if I just make my mom believe, that she'll be able to save us?"

"That's exactly what I think."

**Storybrooke, Maine. August 13th, 2026.**

Henry had fallen asleep in the car, but was abruptly woken by a slap on the chest. "Wake up, kid."

He rolled toward the sound, and felt the cool air hit him from the open door. "I told you to stop calling me that," he said as he slowly climbed out. He immediately recognized the familiar road and buildings lit up by the street lamps. The roads and buildings were slicked wet. The rainstorm must have passed a while ago. Seeing the clock tower, even if it was once again frozen, made him smile slightly.

Then he was suddenly hit by nervous anticipation. He hadn't seen his family in ten years. What were they going to be like? He had known them before and after they knew who he they were, but this time was different. They had all accepted that they were family, and for who they were.

"It's 10 o'clock. Do you think they're up?" Henry asked as Jefferson closed the car door.

The Hatter came to stand beside him as they stared at the town. Henry accepted his bag from the man before he shrugged. "You don't live here, so you'll need a room at Granny's. Maybe we'll see someone having a late night drink."

Without hesitation, Jefferson headed to the diner, and Henry followed him. Guilt rose inside him as he thought about them. They would be looking right at him, but they wouldn't know that he had left them, and hadn't even come to visit in ten years. What kind of son did that? In the ten years he had been in Boston, he had expected his family to contact him, and when they didn't, Henry had been angry. Now, he knew that they couldn't contact him, because they didn't know him. He had hated people all these years that didn't even remember him. He had blamed them for it, not even knowing. This made him feel like a horrible person.

They walked in silence as they strode down the middle of the street, their shoes slapping against the damp pavement. In a small town like Storybrooke, no one would be on the road this hour, unless they were arriving to town., of course. Or getting a drink. It was strange for Henry. He was use to the city streets, with people shouting, music blaring down the street, car horns and alarms going off, and TVs on everywhere. Here, Henry could actually hear crickets. He hadn't heard crickets in ten years. He could also hear the soft lapping of the ocean against the harbor. It was soothing.

Jefferson headed straight to Granny's Diner, but Henry wasn't ready for anyone to see him yet, not until he knew who he was possibly seeing. So he stopped, and the fairy tale character gave him a confused look for a moment before he realized that Henry was nervous. He stopped as well, and stood behind the younger man to give him his space.

The young man took in a steady breath. This was his family. He had to save them from this fake life. They deserved to know the truth. The truth about themselves, Storybrooke, and what Henry did to them.

Slowly, the Truest Believer peeked around the hedges of the diner. The place was still lit up, and for a moment he was surprised it was still open. Once he could see clearly, he saw the figures of people inside, telling him that there were still customers. Granny was the type to kick everyone out, unless there was a special occasion going on.

Inside the diner, Henry saw some familiar faces. The first one he saw was Prince Charming, or David Nolan, his grandfather, sitting with Jiminy, or Archie. Henry grew up with these people, but he found it more respectful if he called them by their real name, which would be their Enchanted Forest name. Of course, now that they didn't know who they really were, he would have to stick with their fake names.

In the booth with the two of them, on the other side, was Sleepy- no, Walter. Henry recalled that here in Storybrooke the dwarf was a security guard at the hospital. And next to him was his mom. All four of them looked exactly the same, but seeing his mother caused tears to spring to his eyes. He had searched for her for years, and out of his twenty-five, only five of them had been spent with her.

He closed his eyes, pushing the tears back. He had a town to save, and it all started with getting his mother to believe.

As protocol, Henry ignored the people in the diner and headed around back, to where Granny would meet him, and where he was supposed to ask for a room. Jefferson followed until they were just outside the door. "Tomorrow morning I'll fill you in on everything that's happened."

Henry nodded. "Like what? Who's dating who?"

Jefferson grinned. "Something like that." Then he turned and headed back to the street. Henry watched him go before he turned and stepped inside.

The bell on the door softly jingled, but Henry cringed at the sound anyway. It was too loud in this quiet town, but it also brought back memories of the many times that Henry had been in this building, because it was the same as the diner door. The young man stepped up to the desk and only had to wait a moment before Granny appeared.

"Welcome to Storybrooke," she said as she approached the counter. Like always, she appeared to be glaring, and Henry almost chuckled at the familiar sight. She settled in the other side and looked at him over her glasses. "How long will you be staying?"

Henry gave her a small nod in greeting, thinking of what exactly he had to stay. He obviously had to stay a while, because knowing his mom, she was not going to believe so easily. So he had to tell this woman something that would convince her that he had a reason to stay. "I've, uh, been on the road for a while. I figured I'd take a break and relax for a while."

Granny nodded, pulling out the guest book. "Well, you picked the right town. You'll definitely have a lot of room to relax here."

Henry let a smile appear on his face. Henry didn't even know if many people stopped in Storybrooke, but it seemed like the woman had said that line a hundred times. "How does a week sound?"

Her eyebrows rose, but she didn't object. "A week sounds fine, Mr….?"

"Henry M-" He stopped himself, earning another eyebrow raise from the elderly woman. He couldn't say Mills, because Regina was most likely the major, which meant that most people would know her, and Emma would be the Sheriff, so he couldn't use Swan. Not if he didn't want to freak people out. So he had to lie again. He said the first name that came to mind: his roommates. "Henry Trenton."

Granny picked up a pen and wrote in Henry's stay. "And how would you like to pay?" she asked him without looking up.

Henry sighed as he dug around in his pocket. He pulled out a few twenties from his paycheck, a ten and a few fives from a bet the other night, and a few bills from his wallet. He set this money on the counter. "I'll pay this upfront. Whatever I owe I'll give to you by the end of the week. Is that okay?"

Granny gave him a small nod. "Whatever works for you, sweetie." She took the money and stuffed it away, and turned to grab his room key. "Here you are," she said, handing the key over. "The diner opens at seven if you want to come down for breakfast. First meal is on the house."

He smiled, memories of her food coming to mind. He suddenly couldn't wait for the next morning. "I won't miss it."

"Have a nice night, Mr. Trenton."

"Thank you. You too, Granny." He disappeared down the hall, but paused just outside of Granny's sight. He heard her clothes rustle as she shuffled away. He was curious to know what the four in the diner were talking about.

The young man shifted back around the corner and crept around to the doorway that led over to the diner. He pressed himself up against the door frame and craned his ear to listen, only catching phrases of sentences.

"….keep a look out for him. We don't have proof…." This was David, his grandfather. He said this last part as if he had said it many times over and whoever he was telling it to never listened to him.

"We know it's him. He always steals from the Major…." This was Emma, his mother. She said it the same way as David had, but more determined, and angry.

There was incoherent speech. Whoever said it must have been quieter, covering their mouth, or looking away. Then Emma spoke again. "….works with Jones? Ha! The guy drives boats all day."

"The correct term is _sail_, Emma." David again.

"Whatever, David. Hopper, I just need you to…."

"….able to. The man is clever; he wouldn't admit it to me. He knows I'd tell you or Deputy Nolan." Archie said this as if he desperately wished it would happen, like he had tried it before.

"….ears open."

"….Leroy's still suspicious about him." Walter said this. His voice was quiet, but Henry knew it was him because he knew Leroy the best out of the four.

Emma spoke with more confidence. "Jones is harmless…. flirt."

"….all know he flirts with you, Emma." David's voice changed, like he had turned his head so it projected towards Henry more. "Maybe you could use that against him…. spill about Lincoln."

Henry heard shuffled, interrupting his eavesdropping. Placing the sound in his head as footsteps coming his way, he darted to the stairs and ran up them as quickly and quietly as he could. At the top, he took in a breath to steady himself.

Henry was smart enough to understand most of what they were saying. Someone is stealing from his mom, Madame Major. They want the doctor to try to get the man to stop his ways, and Killian Jones may or may not be friends with this man. Henry only connected Jones to Killian because who else with the name Jones had a thing for boats? For the sea? It made sense that he had an affiliation to the sea even after his memories were gone.

It took Henry a moment to connect Walter's occupation to all of this. Security, a doctor, the police; they were all keeping an eye out for Lincoln. He was a criminal.

From the conversation, Henry also gathered that the pirate continued to flirt with his mom, regardless of his memories. She must have left an impression on him in the past ten years for her to have caught his attention. This made him smile softly. Even before his father's death, Henry knew that she could be happy with the man called Hook. Still, the two hadn't truly gotten together, not in the sense. Well, they hadn't _announced_ it. Everyone knew that they liked each other- more than liked. But they seemed to like their relationship where it was. Flirting, save each other's lives, admit their feelings, save each other's lives, back to flirting again, and on and on.

But Henry didn't know who this Lincoln was. He was clearly a repeat offender, if they knew that it was him that was stealing. The only person he could think of was Killian, because he had been a pirate, but he knew it wasn't right.

The young man sighed, remembering his mission here. Operation Cobra: Make Emma believe. He didn't know where to start. He had to earn her trust first.

Henry grinned, knowing exactly what would help. He trudged down the hall to his given room, unlocked the door, and slipped inside. A tear escaped his eye, because tomorrow he planned on speaking with the people that he loved, but they wouldn't know him. He had left them for selfish reasons, and they were living these lives that they didn't deserve. He would lie to their face, trick them, to gain their trust, because they deserved to know. It was the only way.


	3. Pain

**Keep in mind that I wrote this story before the season three finale, so I didn't account for certain characters to show up. Most importantly Maiden Marian.**

**I'll be updating Tuesdays, occasionally Fridays. Enjoy!**

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**Granny's Diner. Storybrooke, Maine. August 14****th****, 2026.**

Just as Jefferson said, they were going to start in the morning. Henry walked downstairs looking forward to Granny's breakfast just when the door to the diner opened. The Hatter walked in the same time Henry did. Granny saw the former first from behind the counter.

"Good morning, Jefferson. How is Paige?"

Henry paused, expecting a frown or a flash of anger from the other man. But he saw the man smile, as if nothing was wrong. "She's still sick, but she very kindly ordered me to take a break from waiting on her every day."

The woman nodded. "Will she still accept my soup?"

Jefferson laughed in a clear _of course_. "She loves your cooking. We all do. And I'll have the usual."

The two noticed Henry's arrival. Granny paused and glanced at him. "What can I get for you, Mr. Trenton?"

"Surprise me?" It came off as more of a question, but Granny nodded, as if she got the request many times. "And a coffee, please."

The coffee was produced in seconds, along with Jefferson's tea. Then the woman disappeared to the back to make their breakfast. The few others that were having their morning coffee and breakfast gave Henry odd glances, because he was a stranger in their town. Jefferson ignored them, and invited him to sit with him.

Once they had settled into a booth, Henry leaned forward, asking quietly: "They think your daughter's sick?"

Jefferson gave him a depressed nod. "Every one of them." He took a sip of his tea. "The time loop is odd. They've been frozen in time for ten years, we all have, but it seems like it's the same week. No time seems to pass, but different things happen every day. Through it all, they don't seem to think anything of Grace being gone for this long."

"So it's almost identical to the first curse," Henry commented.

"Not exactly," the Hatter said, and without hesitation he clarified. "Your mother- the major, that is- isn't cruel, for some reason. I mean, she still has anger spats, but having her memory wiped has changed her."

Henry frowned. "You've talked to her?"

The man across from him rose an eyebrow. "When the curse was dropped, I had no idea what was happening. For some reason I wasn't affected by it, so when I couldn't find Grace, I immediately blamed Regina. I went over to her house and began to threaten her. At first, she was rude right back at me, but then she got scared. It only took a few minutes for the Sheriff to show up.

"I thought 'Hey, maybe the Savior can fix this. She'll sway the queen.' But then she threw me in jail. It was only then that I knew something was up with the town. No one seemed to know anything about magic." He let out a disgusted chuckle. "Supposedly my fake record says that I'm partially sociopathic. They think I take medication to stay sane, and right then, they thought I wasn't taking it."

Henry let an amused grin fall upon his lips. "You _are_ called the Mad Hatter for a reason."

Jefferson glared.

Henry rose his hands in mock surrender. "You said it yesterday, not me."

He rolled his eyes, turning to glance around the diner casually. "How was I supposed to convince these people of magic if they thought I was crazy?"

Henry grabbed his mug and stared down into his drink. "Well, I guess you have me for that now."

Jefferson nodded. "I suppose I do."

Henry leaned back into the booth. "So tell me about everyone. What do I need to know?"

And he was told.

Mary Margaret and David were married, unlike the last curse. Their three year old lived with them, and David was still a deputy, and Mary Margaret a teacher. Emma and David thought they were foster siblings, because since they looked almost the same age, it didn't make sense that they were father and daughter. Gold and Belle lived together, he working at his shop while Belle worked at the library. Everyone wondered how the two had gotten together, because the story was untold, even to Belle's close friends. Rumplestiltskin didn't cause a ruckus in the town, because he didn't even know who he was, unlike the first curse. The same went for Regina. She was still major, but was more isolated. Mary Margaret seemed to be the only one that could open her up, and at times, Emma. The Major and Sheriff tended to disagree, but they seemed to call each other friends.

Nothing else was all that different. Everyone else went back to doing and believing what they had during the first curse, except for ones that hadn't been here for the first one. Hook, Tinkerbell, Anton, Robin Hood and his Merry Men, Ariel and Eric etc.

After they ate their food, Henry and Jefferson stood. "How do you plan on getting your mother to believe?"

Henry grinned. "She needs to trust me, first. And to do that-"

The door to the diner opened, sending a small ring of the bell throughout the large room. Henry wouldn't have usually cut himself off due to the sound, but he did because of the person that came through the door.

She looked the same as she did ten years ago, too. Glowing blonde hair, sharp green eyes, confident stance, and that red leather jacket. Her gaze immediately found him, and she began her walk over. The others in the diner glanced their way, but none interrupted her quest.

Henry cleared his throat and stuffed his hands in his pockets as she approached him, seeming to overall ignore the man beside him. "Welcome to Storybrooke, Mr. Trenton."

Henry's eyebrows rose as he tried to play it cool. This was his mom, but she didn't know that she was his mom. He had to lie to her face, until he could trust that she would listen. He had to gain her trust, and to do that, he had to act like he belonged.

She smiled, thinking she had surprised him into silence, and answered the unasked question. "I'm the Sheriff; I make it my business to know what's happening in my town."

He grinned. He hadn't seen plain-old Sheriff Swan in years, and it was good to see her that way. "T-thank you for having me, Sheriff." He frowned at his sudden nervousness. He wanted to know how she was, what she had done, who she had done it with. Did she still think of Storybrooke as home? Did she take care of Mary Margaret, his Uncle Neal, and David? What about Regina, Red, Grumpy, Hook? Was she even friends with them? He wanted to ask all these things, and it pained him to keep it all inside.

She nodded. "Can I ask what you're in town for?"

Henry closed his eyes for a moment, to calm his mind. He took a glance towards Granny, who was cleaning the counter nearby. Henry knew her well enough that she was really listening in to the conversation. The usual Granny. He cleared his throat and turned back to his mother. He saw the suspicion there, and hated it. He was her son, not a criminal with a warrant over his head. "Well, I told my hostess that I was only here to take a break off the road." He turned his gaze back to his mother. "But since you are the law-" at this Emma smirked- "I suppose you have the right to know."

Her eyebrows shot up at this. She clearly wasn't expecting him to seem so confident. Henry hated the lies, but he knew that they were necessary.

Henry went on, thinking of a reasonable excuse that would hopefully give him a lot of leverage with the townspeople. He needed to find Lincoln. "I'm a P.I. I was hired to look into a resident of this small town."

"Oh really?" Emma asked, and she seemed as if she didn't believe him. "Are you investigating the burglaries?"

Henry grinned, but it wasn't full-hearted. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Alright, he had given her that one. "So why are you here, Trenton?"

"I'm not at liberty to say. The job is _private_ for a reason."

The Sheriff still seemed as if she thought he was lying. "You got some I.D. on you?"

He frowned. Damn, he hadn't thought of that. "I'm technically not on the job at the moment. Right now I'm just observing the town." He mentally cringed. He needed better lies. He had better ones in Boston.

She narrowed her eyes at him, but said nothing for a moment. "Alright. I expect you to follow the laws of this town, Mr. Trenton, and the rights of its people. If you don't, you'll be seeing the bars of my jail cell."

A smile appeared on Henry's face. His mom was threatening him, like so many times before, and she had no idea that it wasn't affecting him one bit. Hopefully, he played it off like it was. "Yes ma'am. I won't get in the way."

She nodded. "Good." Finally, she took her eyes off him and glanced at the man next to them. "Jefferson."

"Sheriff," he said with a small nod.

She returned the nod, then turned to Granny. Without even having to be asked, she pulled out two to-go coffee containers on the counter, like she had had them prepared the whole time. Emma approached the bar and accepted them. "Thank you, Granny." Then she turned and exited the diner.

Jefferson leaned closer to Henry after she left and spoke to him softly. "I don't think she believed that one bit."

Henry grinned. "I don't think so, either. Hopefully she doesn't try and call around, asking for Henry Trenton's that are P.I.'s."

He laughed. "What now?"

"I gain her trust."

**The Docks. Sotrybrooke, Maine. August 14****th****, 2026.**

Henry Mills had overhead Emma, David, Archie and Walter last night saying that Killian Jones knew this Lincoln fellow, or pretty close to it. Henry decided he would see if this was true.

He thought one way to get the trust of his mother was if he helped her solve the case she was working on. Hopefully, being a fake Private Investigator would help her accept it. To help her solve the case, he had to find out who this Lincoln was, and maybe even help bring him in.

To Henry, the easiest way to do this was to ask Killian Jones, a known acquaintance to this Lincoln.

Henry knew this town better than the back of his own hand, but he didn't know it to have Killian Jones working at the docks. So he just went to them and began searching for the man. It took him about ten minutes to spot the pirate. At first, Henry didn't find him right away because his mind was searching for leather. He wasn't expecting a tan carhartt and denim jeans. Henry really only recognized him by his accent, which he was surprised he even heard over the ocean and a few seagulls.

Henry paused when he saw the man, who was standing with a few other men around a stall of fish. He saw the man and what looked like the fish vendor laughing. Hearing the word mate being used caused Henry's feet to move him forward. As he headed towards them, he thought of what he was going to say; of what a Private Investigator would say and what one wouldn't.

The men looked up at the movement, but didn't stop their conversation as he approached. They probably thought Henry was there to buy some fish.

Jones was speaking when Henry came into ear shot. "….him that I'd fix it. Along with the rest of the boat. I'm surprised it's been afloat this long."

As Henry got closer, he saw that the fish vendor was Prince Eric. He wasn't at all surprised. "Killian Jones?" Henry asked as he approached. He looked from both men, as if he had never seen the man before, and was looking for him.

Both men glanced at each other before said man stepped away from the cart. "Aye, you've found him. Who's asking?" Since he was known as Captain Hook in fairytales, he didn't need an alias. No one would connect Killian Jones to Captain Hook, not in this world, anyways.

Henry professionally held out his hand to him. "Henry Trenton. P.I." Henry found himself staring not only because the man in front of him wasn't wearing leather, but because his left hand, usually a hook, was now just a stub covered in black fabric. Henry knew it must be difficult to work at the docks with only one hand.

The pirate's eyebrows rose. Well, he wasn't a pirate now, but to Henry he was. "A Private Investigator in Storybrooke?" He looked the young man up and down. "Aren't you a little young?"

Once they dropped each other's hands, Henry rose his hands in surrender. "Trust me, I've been at this since I was ten. Uh, my dad taught me." Hopefully that was convincing enough. Dads were supposed to be tough, and Neal was tough enough. Not as tough as his mother, however. Emma had gone through so much and still survived. "And don't worry; I'm not here to help imprison someone. I'm actually looking to contact someone, and I'm told that you know them. A Lincoln?" He hoped he didn't seem too anxious.

Hook gestured for him to walk with him, and he did, after he nodded goodbye to Eric. He led Henry down the docks. "Robin Lincoln?"

Henry could have slapped himself there. Of course it was Robin Hood. Who else would be stealing possibly valuable items from Regina? Henry composed himself. He was pretending to be a professional. "Robin Lincoln, yes. What can you tell me about him?"

They turned the corner, and the docksman grabbed a small pal of a liquid as the passed a small shed. A small, half-nervous laugh escaped the man. "I'm afraid I don't feel comfortable telling you that. He may not be a friend, but I respect a man's privacy."

Henry sighed. "Of course. I understand. Could you maybe point me to the right direction so that I may ask him a few questions myself?"

The man laughed again as he turned down a deck, with Henry trailing after him. "If you want that information, I'm afraid the Sheriff's station would be the best place for that." He glanced back at Henry, who was now frowning. "I'm sorry, but I'm pretty sure that's it's against the law to give that information away." He stopped at a smaller boat and hopped onto it.

Of course, the damn pirate had to be a good guy. But then again he seemed like a normal guy concerned for his own safety, so he wouldn't get thrown into jail. He nodded. "Again, I understand. Well, I appreciate you taking the time to speak with me."

The man grinned after he set the pal down. "Good luck, Henry Trenton. The Sheriff has a nasty bite."

Henry grinned. That she did. As he walked away, he heard the pirate laughing. Of course he would know; Emma had been mad at him plenty of times. Did they have the same relationship with these memories?

Now Henry didn't know what to do. Robin was like a father to him, after he got together with Regina. He didn't understand why the two weren't married in their fake lives, like Mary Margaret and David were. And why was Robin still stealing from the rich and giving to the poor? Surely he would have another job with his fake memories.

How was he going to help his mother catch his friend? How was he going to get her to believe? How was he going to do any of this? Well, how did he do it the first time? Operation Cobra consisted of showing her the book, and introducing her to events that had to make her believe.

Then again, knowing who had laid the curse could help, too, and what type of villain he was up against. So far, they didn't seem to be harming anyone in town, or wanting to. Everything seemed normal, or as much as it could be.

It only took another ten minutes to walk into town. In that time, Henry came up with a few ideas. The book was a good start, but then again, last time it had been a ten year old that had given it to Emma, and her son. She didn't know him now, and probably wouldn't accept the book from a twenty-five year old.

Henry was just about to head into Granny's diner when Emma walked out of it, followed by David. Henry smiled, and was about to say hello to them, when Emma's hand went to her waist and pulled out her gun. She held it up and pointed it at him. "Hold it, Trenton. You're under arrest."

Henry froze, completely shocked. He had never had a gun pointed at him before, and by his mom made it more disturbing. "I don't-"

"I know when someone is lying, and you lied about being a Private Investigator. What else did you lie about?" Henry said nothing, because he didn't know what to say. How could he have forgotten about her superpower? It has been ten years, but this was his mother. _How could he forget her superpower_? _Stupid. He was stupid._

"You have the right to remain silent," she said as David moved behind him. The Deputy grabbed his wrist and slapped cold metal around it, then pulled it down to his lower back. He pulled Henry's other arm around him and pressed the other cuff around his wrist. David pulled on his arms as he tightened the cuffs, making Henry cringed. But he remained silent, because he knew he was in trouble. It was, after all, illegal to lie to the police.

David grabbed his shoulder and turned him around so that they were now headed toward the Sheriff's office. "Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law."

Blood pounded in his ears as Henry was pulled down the street. Fear gripped his heart in its hand and tightened it into a fist. Now his mother would never trust him. He wouldn't be able to save his town and his family. They were all doomed, all because Henry had left.

* * *

**I picked Lincoln as a last name for Robin because his story was around that area of England, or such, and he and his merry men wear "Lincolns," so I figured it worked. Henry's silly, forgetting about his mom's lie detector, right?**


	4. Through the Gaps

**So it may be a little confusing, but the beginning of stories usually are, in my case.**

* * *

**Sheriff's Office. Storybrooke, Maine. August 14****th****, 2026.**

Henry sat on the bed in the cell leaning forward, his head in his hands. Emma and David were quietly talking at their desks, presumably about him. He had only been in the cell for under a half hour- right after he had gotten his mug shot taken- and already he was sick of it. There was nothing to do but stare. He assumed the two were waiting for the computer to tell them who he was. It could have been easier to just tell them, but they didn't ask.

Finally, he heard the two approach his cell.

His mother spoke first. "What did you and Killian Jones talk about? Did you talk to him about the Lincoln case?"

Henry laughed. "Oh course you followed me," he said in a quiet voice. He sighed, then spoke up. "Killian had nothing to do with this."

"What is _this_?" David asked, and Henry could picture the man folding his arms across his chest.

He was the Truest Believer. He should be able to do this. He had done it before. He sighed again before he looked up. He was right about David's stance. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you," he told them, looking from his mother to his grandfather.

Emma mimicked David's stance, but with an added eyebrow raise. "Try us."

Henry shook his head. "I can't." He stood and stepped up to the bars, and the two on the other side continued to stare suspiciously at him. He turned to the Savior. "You know when someone's lying. But you always say: 'just because you believe it doesn't make it true.' Even if it is true, you won't think it is, because it doesn't make any sense to you."

Both of their eyebrows lowered at the same time. "What won't make sense?" David asked, slightly confused.

Henry thought maybe Emma would ask how he knew about the believing, but she said nothing. "What I have to tell you," Henry said to David. The prisoner suddenly threw his hands up, turned, and stepped away from the bars. "No, never mind. I wish I had a drink right about now."

"I think maybe you've had too much already," Emma said. "And it's only quarter to nine."

He raised his hand to rub at his face. "Fighting a dragon would help you believe, I bet," Henry mumbled to himself. He turned his head so that the people on the other side of the bars could hear him clearly. "Do I at least get a phone call?"

The two glanced at each other. After silently speaking for a moment, Emma turned back to him. "We'll think about it." Then they turned away.

Not long later, the two officers, after being summoned for a moment, returned, followed by an uncomfortable Jefferson. What caught Henry's attention wasn't their footsteps- no, he had closed his eyes long ago and tried to get some rest, which meant ignoring them, feeling he would need it. What caught his attention was Emma asking who they brought in a question. "Is this the man that you're looking for?"

Henry was curious, because he had heard the third set of footsteps, and knew they weren't talking to each other. When he opened his eyes, he saw Jefferson's shoulders lower in relief as he sighed. His relief turned to curiosity as he turned to the Sheriff. "What did he get arrested for?"

Henry sat up and smirked at his question.

The three paused on the other side of their desks, and the Savior crossed her arms. "For impersonating a Private Investigator, which I'm sure you already know he isn't."

Jefferson smirked as well. _If only she knew the real reason I was here_, Henry thought as his gaze met the Hatters. The latter glanced away before he spoke again. "My friend was trying to…. find his family."

Henry saw his mother scoff as David rose an eyebrow. He turned to Henry. "If you needed help with that, you could have just asked. What are their names?"

Henry glared at the Hatter. _Thanks, Jefferson_. "I appreciate the help, but I'm sure they're not here."

"You're sure, kid?" Henry froze at the words. Emma asked that, her voice sounding sympathetic. She could relate to not knowing her parents, much less finding them. But at least in this life she had David. But that wasn't why the young man froze. She had called him _kid,_ something she had done for that five years of his life where he had been her son. _Before _he had even been her son. Maybe his mom was still in there somewhere. Maybe they were _all_ in there somewhere.

But this wasn't his mom, because at the moment, he was the Truest Believer. And she was Sheriff Swan. They didn't know each other, not now, not with this damn curse ruining their lives _again._ Would anything ever be normal for this family?

Henry stepped up to the bars and held onto one. "I'm sorry that I lied. I had a feeling they wouldn't be here anyway." It wasn't lying, per say. His family was standing right in front of him, but at the moment, they weren't his family. They didn't know him, or the memories they shared together. "I brought my mom here when I was younger. It's a special place." He shrugged. "They travel a lot." This wasn't lying, either, because they had went from this land to the next over their adventures. "Like I said, I hoped they had been here."

"Do you need us to track down their numbers so you can call them?" Emma didn't seem suspicious, so she didn't think he was lying. That was good. At least they seemed like they wanted to help now.

Henry looked down. "We had a fight right before I left." He rubbed his face, because again it was true. "I don't think they'd answer my call. I have to be there in person." He looked up at them again. "But thanks. I'll just wait for them here."

"You think they'll come back soon?" David asked.

Henry just shrugged. He didn't know how long it would take to get his mom to believe again. He just wished it was sooner rather than later.

The two law enforcers glanced at each other again, and Emma gestured for David to join her across the station. He followed her a ways away, but they continued to glance back at the two by and in the cell. Henry smirked, thinking it was either because they were reluctant to believe him, or they didn't trust Jefferson.

Said man approached the bars after a glance at the others. "Nice work," he whispered once he was close to them. "Twisting the truth."

Henry still didn't think he was all that fond of the man still. He ignored the comment. "How am I going to do this? Every day that goes by is still a day that Grace is missing."

The Hatter glared, but not out of anger towards the Truest Believer. "I know. I've been at this for ten years, and the only solution I've come up with is to get the Savior to believe. Once she did, I was hoping she'd come up with a plan. That's your job, kid."

Henry glanced at his family to make sure they were still occupied to not hear them. "I'm different now. When I convinced her last time, I was just a kid that wanted to help. I haven't wanted to help anyone in a long time. I was going to try to gain her trust by finding Lincoln, but that seems to be hard." He frowned, realizing he hadn't really wanted to say that to him. So he turned the conversation back to him. "You know, you could have tried to figure out who cast the curse. That would have been more helpful."

The man looked away, and at first Henry thought it because he was in thought. But then Henry slowly recognized guilt across the man's features. He gripped the bars in front of him, a glare erupting onto his face. "Damn it, Jefferson. You know, don't you?"

The man cringed. "I do. I would have told you, but there's no point. I've been pleading with the man for ten years-"

"Tell me who it is," Henry growled. Before the other man could react, however, the Deputy appeared.

"Alright, Trenton," David said as he approached, causing the young man to step away from the bars, and Jefferson to do the same. "We've decided to let you go, but since our first run-in together was of dishonesty, I'm sure you'll understand that we're going to be keeping an eye out for you." Henry glanced at Emma as his grandfather pulled out the keys to the cell. She looked like she hated the idea, but it seemed that the prince had convinced her of this.

"Thank you," Henry mumbled. Once he got out of this cell, he and Jefferson were going to have a talk.

**The Streets of Storybrooke. Storybrooke, Maine. August 14****th****, 2026.**

The clock tower struck noon as Henry caught up to Jefferson. Before Henry could be completely released, the man had hurried out. He easily caught up to the Hatter, who was most likely on his way back home.

"Tell me who cast the curse," Henry demanded once they were walking side by side.

Jefferson sighed in defeat. "I know I should have told you-"

"Just tell me," Henry said, interrupting him. He didn't need the sympathy.

Jefferson sighed again. "He calls himself Drake."

"So I don't know him."

"No. He came here the day of the curse and immediately cast it. I-" Jefferson rubbed his face, but managed to continue to walk. "I was picking up dinner at Granny's that night. When I got home, Grace was gone. I searched all into the night for her, and finally he contacted me at 3am." He dropped his hand. "I lied when I said I didn't know that she was okay."

Henry frowned, but he continued. He didn't look up as he spoke, but watched the ground in front of him as he walked. "He lets me see her sometimes. It's like a _reward_," he spit out, disgusted. "I do what he says, and he lets me see her for a few minutes."

Henry's mouth fell open. This had been going on for ten years. There was no way he could have tried to go against the man, because then he'd hurt Grace.

Jefferson explained more. "I keep tabs on the townspeople. I'm supposed to tell him if anyone begins to remember their old lives. He can't have anyone knowing about magic, or else he will fail his task. I don't know what it is, otherwise I'd tell you.

"Drake rarely leaves his house, and he has a protection spell around the property. There's no way I can get to my daughter unless I'm giving him a report. And trust me, I've tried a few times. Fortunately, he never took his anger out on her." The man cringed, telling Henry that he possibly had the scars to prove it, mentally or physically.

"The only hope she has is the Savior and her friends. And you." Jefferson finally looked him in the eye. "Drake has power, similar to the Dark One. He can be controlled, but only by his masters, which unfortunately aren't in Stroybrooke."

"Wait," Henry told him, and he physically stopped. They were just on the edge of town, and Henry realized that they were heading toward the forest. "I don't think I understand what you're saying." How did he know so much?

Jefferson shook his head. "I think you do." He sighed, once again in guilt and defeat. "I go to him when he summons me, and for some reason, he likes to be civil. He talks, I listen. It's been ten years; he's told me a lot. What he hasn't told me I've figured out on my own. He's only doing one thing in Storybrooke, and that's guarding his target, which includes keeping the target- and everyone else in town- frozen in time.

"I'll tell you about that later, because right now I have to report to him, and he wants to meet you."

Henry blinked, shocked. "You told him I was here?"

The Hatter shook his head. "He may not have eyes and ears everywhere, but he can feel when someone enters his territory. He knows you've entered town, and that I've brought you here. That's it; I swear. I've already endangered my daughter by bringing you here, and you're going to make it worse by not showing up to meet him."

Henry's glare returned. "What's to say he won't find out that I'm here to break the curse?"

"I'll tell you on the way there," he told him, then turned down a street that led deep into the forest.

* * *

**The** **ending here was mostly dialogue, but I hope everyone understood!**


	5. Snowy Smile

**So I haven't really had time to focus on this multi-fic story, what with it being the last few weeks of school and constantly getting slammed with projects and papers and review for the finals. But I hope to finish the story before the end of the summer. Thanks to all of you that are taking the time to read it, and enjoy!**

**Drake's House. Storybrooke, Maine. August 14****th****, 2026.**

The building was in the middle of the forest, but when they approached, it didn't really seem like it. The trees around the building were cleared down, giving it a lawn. Around the yard were trees and bushes. With the large porch and path to the door, along with the yard decorations, the place looked like a mansion. It looked even bigger than the major's home.

Henry let Jefferson lead him up the path and into the house. The Hatter didn't even knock, he just stepped into the home like it was his own, and left Henry to close the door behind him. The Truest Believer followed the man past the stairs, ignoring all the paintings and décor, and focused on the important task at hand.

He found himself in a small lounging room, with four leather chairs, two across from the other, with small side table in-between each. There was a bookshelf taking up one wall, and a large painting of some battlefield on the other, while the third that didn't hold the door held windows covered in thin white curtains to give the room a glowing look.

Once they entered the room, Henry didn't have a chance to close the door behind him, because it did so on its' own. He immediately knew it was magic, and found the owner of said power sitting in one of the four chairs.

Jefferson glanced back at Henry before he took a seat diagonal the man, leaving the one across from him open. Henry didn't bother to be curious, and stepped up to the chair. He wanted this man to believe that Henry wouldn't be intimidated by him. If he wanted him to believe his story, he had to look at ease, like he wasn't trying to trick the man.

The man's skin was tan, and Henry immediately recognized it as some Southern American skin-color. His hair was short, black, and slicked back with light gel. He had slight stubble across his jaw, and oddly ice-blue eyes. He wore a suit, a simple pin-striped black jacket with black trousers with a white shirt underneath, his tie the same blue as his eyes. He held a glass in his hand, with a light brown drink and ice cubes inside it. Alcohol, most likely. His face remained neutral as Henry sat down, but took in Henry the same way he just had.

The three said nothing as the two stared at each other. Henry settled into the leather easily; it was surprisingly comfortable. He shouldn't be comfortable in a situation like this, though. He should be ready for anything, not relaxed.

Finally, the owner of the house spoke. "You have magic in your heart."

Henry frowned. "I do?" He asked, though it wasn't because he already didn't know. He just didn't know how this man did.

Drake smiled knowingly. "Not magic you would expect. Your powers are extremely limited, and linked to emotion. It is mostly for others, to give power to others. So far, that is only what you have done. But you can do so much more, if only you learned how."

Henry didn't like that this man knew this. How could he know anything about being the Truest Believer? He smirked, most definitely not amused. It was a sarcastic gesture. "I'll look into that."

The man across from him grinned. "I bid you luck. You have not used your power in some time now. It will be difficult to do so again." He glanced at Jefferson, who gave him a slight nod. "You left the town a week ago, and you come back with this young man. Why?"

Henry answered for him before he could speak. He said all the details so that there wouldn't be any questions in between. "Jefferson and I are friends. I grew up in this town. Ten years ago I left and didn't come back. I asked him if my family was okay." He shrugged. "I thought it was time I dropped in to say hello. What I didn't expect was to come back to find that they're all the same age and that they don't remember me." Henry narrowed his eyes slightly, to tell him that he wasn't pleased by it, though his tone remained neutral. "They may not remember me, but I still care about them. Can I ask why you've laid down this curse?"

The man smirked. "You may ask, yes, but I will only tell you this once: I cast the curse because it was my duty. I have a job. Wouldn't want to get fired." He said this the same way Henry had spoken: neutral, but truly pissed.

Henry grimaced at the man's wit.

The man swallowed the rest of his drink, then set the glass down on the table beside his chair. "Now that you've seen that your family is fine, you may leave."

No one was going to kick him out of this town, not even his own mother. "This is my home. I'm not leaving. Maybe you should be the one to leave."

Drake rose an eyebrow, amused. "You didn't seem to have a problem with leaving ten years ago."

"I was a teenager," he confessed. "What's so important about your job that you have to keep everyone in town clueless? Looks like you're trying to cover something up, so the good guys won't see and take you down."

The man laughed, but Henry knew it was forced. "You don't need to know my intentions. If you attempt to interfere with my work, I will destroy something close to you. Perhaps one of your loved ones."

Henry stood out of anger. He would have lunged at Drake if suddenly he was frozen. But instead of only being glued to the spot, he also felt some heat. The heat surrounded him and was also inside him, and it slowly grew, spreading throughout him. After a moment it began to sting, and that was when Drake stood. "You are no match against me, human. No harm will come to me or the one I am here to protect."

As he stood, he buttoned up his jacket professionally, and took a menacing step forward. Henry continued to glare at the man, because he knew he couldn't defeat him, not now. Henry didn't have any magic; all he had was belief. What good would that do?

The man with the icy stare turned to the Hatter. "I am no longer in need of your assistance."

Jefferson's eyes widened. "Does this mean that you're leaving Storybrooke?"

Drake laughed, as if he had truly found that hilarious. "No, of course not. I still have a job." He rose his hand and gave his wrist a quick flick. "Your daughter," he said, and with that, the three men turned toward a door that suddenly appeared in the bookcase.

"Paige," the Hatter gasped, and not a second later the young girl emerged from the doorway.

As Jefferson stepped towards his daughter and pulled her in for a hug, Drake turned to Henry once again. The Truest Believer tried to move again, but the heat was still growing, and soon enough he would cry out in pain. "If you attempt to prevent me from doing my job, I will take your memories away as well."

**Granny's Diner. Storybrooke, Maine. August 14****th****, 2026.**

Since Jefferson could now take Grace home, he left as soon as he could, apologizing to Henry that he had to take care of his daughter. Henry understood, of course; he just felt clueless and useless. Drake had spoken the truth; Henry hadn't used his magic in a long time, and he didn't know if he believed. He believed that the town was doomed if he couldn't complete Operation Cobra. Could he believe in himself to do it, was the question.

He needed help, and the only people that could spread hope to him were his grandparents: Snow White and Prince Charming. The two were the most hopeful people in the realm; probably in all realms. Fortunately for him, Mary Margaret and Henry's three year old uncle were at the diner.

Henry knew that they didn't know him, so he made his way to a booth, only ordering a cup of coffee from Granny. He kept his head bowed as he sat, letting out a sigh of relief. Being this close to the woman and her son brought doubt into him. Of course he couldn't get inspiration off of her; she didn't even know who she was. No one in this town did except Jefferson, and he knew nothing. Although Jefferson could still be lying. No one could help him break the curse, let alone defeat Drake.

But Destiny must have not seen it that way, because suddenly Snow White appeared at Henry's table. "I'm sorry to intrude on your caffeine break," she told him with a smile, glancing at the mug of coffee in his hands.

Henry let out a small laugh. "Not at all." He was curious as to what she could be confronting _him_ about; a complete stranger.

She fiddled with her hands nervously. "Sorry, again, but you're Henry Trenton, aren't you?" Before he could reply, however, she continued. "My husband spoke about you. Being in a small town, people tend to know everything, especially when you're related to the Sheriff's." She waved her hands, as if to disregard everything she had just said. "Anyways, I'm sorry about your parents. I hope they come back and you can reunite with them. It's never good to be alone."

Henry frowned, turning away, because she did not just say that. But she had; his family, the ones he was trying to get back to, where right in front of him. He needed them to remember. He didn't want to be alone anymore. He didn't want them to live a life of lives; they had already been through too much. They deserved a peaceful happy ending. He was the only one that could give them this. Drake had to go down.

In a second, many different ideas came to his head; most of them were ridiculous, including the one that made the most sense. It was the only idea that came to him at that moment.

For some reason, he thought back to when he was ten, when he had thought his life was horrible. But then Mrs. Blanchard had given him that book, and he began to read the stories. The fairy tale characters reminded him of his teacher, the major, a sheriff, and pawn broker. Somehow, Henry had believed that they were these characters. Of course, he had been ten, but somehow he _knew_.

Henry believed at that moment, but again, he didn't think he could convince his mother. A ten year old had done it last time, and maybe a ten year old could do it this time. He needed the book from Mary Margaret, but the last time she had found it she pulled it out of an empty box. She had only given it to him when she thought he needed hope; maybe even because she needed hope, and seeing others with hope gave her hope. He didn't know, but he suddenly knew a way to get her to want to spread hope.

He thought all of this in under two seconds, and a fake story to convince her that he needed hope. He looked down at the mug in his hands. "I have this girlfriend back home. She kicked me out, but…." His grandmother slid into the seat across from him, but he refused to look up at the movement. Over the years he had gotten good at lying; he knew it was horrible of him, but it was the only way to survive his life. Here, he had never needed to lie, but when they got their memories back, he would stop. It was wrong to lie, but he was trying to save them.

"But she's pregnant." Snow's brows lowered in curiousness. "I know that I can't just leave her, but she kicked me out. I needed to give her space, so I figured I'd come spend a week with my parents." He paused, this next part true but necessary for the story. His grip tightened on the mug. "I didn't have a father growing up, and….. I want to care for this baby, if she ever lets me back in. I don't want my child to grow up without one. But I don't know how to be a father. I have no experience, no knowledge to pass down from one."

Henry let out a sigh, because he knew that his own mother went through the same thing as a kid. Maybe he should be saying this to her, to connect to her.

Mary Margaret frowned. "I am so sorry." He grimaced, because she sounded heartbroken for him. "I'm not a father, but I am a mother. You don't need experience to be a parent. At first, you might doubt yourself, but once you hold your baby in your arms, you know you will do whatever you have to to protect it. You get this feeling that you will be strong for it, and that drives you. It's motherly, or fatherly, instinct."

Her hand came out and covered his own, and the action caused him to break his hold on the mug. He hadn't known it had been so tight, and that his knuckles had turned white. He looked up at her, but their gazes only met for a moment, and Henry saw all the sadness and awe in her eyes, before a voice broke out, catching her attention.

"Mamma!" They both turned at the young shriek, and Henry grinned at the sight of his uncle. The small kid, just over three years old, jumped into the seat next to his mother. (Spitting image of, just as he left him) "Mamma, Aunt Ruby said her had best day of da world!" He said, tugging at her clothes to help himself crawl into her lap. He touched her face as she went on, and Snow was grinning from ear to ear in happiness. "Her took me to da park!"

Mary Margaret gasped, encouraging her son on. "Did you go on the swing?"

He nodded vigorously. "Swing! Then I pushed her, and, and, Mamma, I wish you were there!"

Then Ruby appeared, with a large grin on her face. Her and Mary Margaret's gazes met over the kid, and Henry couldn't help but grin at his excitement. Ever since Henry could remember the kid had enjoyed the park.

Another idea swarmed through his mind. Hopefully this plan had worked, but it was always good to have a plan be.

Henry stood, catching the attention of both the royals in front of him. "Thank you for listening," he told her with a small smile, and she smiled back warmly. He could see that she wished the best of him. So did he. If only there was a genie around to break the curse. He imagined his life would be so much easier that way.

"I'm Mary Margaret, by the way."

Henry's grin deepened. "Henry." He let out a small chuckle. "But you already knew that."

She laughed as well, and his uncle stared up at him with wide eyes. "Good luck," she told him, then watched him turn.

Henry gave Ruby a smile before he walked past her through the door. He hoped his plan led him to the book. It was great to see his family, but being strangers to them was too much. He needed to save this town; it was his time to be a savior.


	6. End

**A/N: Bad news: This fic will soon be discontinued. You know where you should back up everything that's on a flashdrive to your computer? Yeah, this is the one fic that I haven't. My flashdrive is now broken, and I only have three more chapters to give you. I've lost this story and all previous ones, except for the few that I am working on right now. I feel really bad, and don't even want to post this because it's such a horrible cliffhanger, and leaves you wondering, but I didn't know what to do with it, so I figured I give it all to you now, because why prolong the end? **

**The Playground. Storybrooke, Maine. August 14****th****, 2026.**

As Henry entered the playground, he expected to be alone. He had just finished rolling up his sleeves-because although they were in Maine, it still got a little warm in the summers-when he spotted a lone figure in the castle.

This castle had a lot of memories for Henry. When he wanted to get away from Regina, he would come here and read the storybook. He had spent a good deal of his spare time here, and now he saw that someone else was.

He didn't know for sure if he came here a lot, but seeing a young boy, no older than nine or so, sitting alone in the exact spot where Henry had sat alone, made him stop in his tracks.

He quickly looked the boy over, seeing that he was familiar. The boy was sitting on the step, his legs dangling off, kicking at the sand beneath them. In his hand was a black object that was a little too big for his small hands. His brown hair flopped down into his face, and he wore one of those gray long sleeve shirts with a black shirt over it, so it looked like two but it was really one, and his pants were khakis. With his head slumped forward, he looked a little depressed, because he didn't look like he wasn't putting any effort into the game he was playing.

Henry blinked, taking the kid's appearance in only a few seconds, then went back into motion. He approached the boy, and once in reasonable earshot, spoke to him. "Wow, I haven't seen a Nintendo in forever."

The kid looked up, ignoring his game as his eyes found Henry's face. The Truest Believer almost gasped. Roland, son of Robin. He looked the same, but older, not in age, but like he was worn out. Maybe it was because he had been through too much, or because he had rolled around in the dirt. Henry couldn't tell, because frankly, he hadn't really known any kids that age, not even when he had lived here. He had always kind of been alone.

This particular kid could have been a younger brother to him. His mother and Robin Hood had been True Love's, and if they had gotten married, he and Roland would have been step brothers. Henry frowned, because he was sure that, ten years ago, Robin was about to propose, and Regina knew it. Their lives had been so peaceful, finally after all the heartbreak they had been through.

The boy smirked, holding the gaming device up higher. "I know," he said, but his voice didn't match his look at all. He sounded fine, not sad at all. "My Dad doesn't have enough money to buy all the new touch screen stuff. We found this at a yard sale somewhere."

Hearing that caused Henry to frown. Robin did steal from the rich and give to the poor for a reason. But why didn't he keep any for himself? Surely he would think of providing for his son first. Roland looked back down at it and stared at the screen. Henry got closer to see what was on it. "What game do you have?"

This time he gave Henry a grimace. "Mario Brothers. I wish I had Zelda, or some shooting game."

Henry rose an eyebrow when the boy looked back up at him. He seemed at ease, talking to an older stranger. "I use to play the shooting games. But I have to say, Mario could hold me off."

Roland switched the game off, then stuffed the device into one of his pockets. "You're not from here."

Henry let out a chuckle, glancing around. He was, actually, but no one in this town knew that but Jefferson, and now Drake, whoever the hell that guy was. "No, but I use to come to a place like this all the time when I was your age. It helped me think."

He looked back down at Roland, wondering why the kid wasn't upset and worrying about "Stranger Danger." Maybe because he knew not many people came to this town. Plus, Henry was only twenty-five; people couldn't really be worried about him, _could_ they? Roland kicked at the sand again. "Why?"

Henry frowned, and with a sigh, he shifted. He put his back to the young boy for only a second before he settled onto the step next to him. Roland shifted to give the man more room, but continued to stare at the sand in front of him. Henry took in a breath and glanced around the park. Where was Robin? The man loved his son to death. "I came here because-" He cut himself off, putting a hand to his forehead. He definitely couldn't tell the kid that he knew his mom was The Evil Queen.

Roland looked up at him when he paused, and Henry met his curious gaze. "You could say I wasn't too fond of my mother. But eventually I got to see the real her; a hero."

Robin's son smiled, but it seemed forced. He looked away again. "My dad has always loved me, I know that, but lately, he's been at work all the time. I'm not supposed to be alone, but he thinks I'm at a friend's house, doing homework."

It was Henry's turn to smirk- because of course, he was a boy, what did you expect?- but he grew serious remembering the first part he had said. Henry knew what Robin did in the Enchanted Forest, but if he stole from the rich here, too, what job could he have?

"He works at the car repair down the street." That was strange. Henry figured he would have taught people archery or something, not work on cars. Then again, he wouldn't have expected a bandit (Snow White) to become a teacher (Mrs. Blanchard).

Henry nodded. "Well, I'm sure your dad would spend time with you if he wasn't working." Why did the town need a car repair anyway? No one could even drive out of the town, and most everything was in walking distance except for the few that lived out in the woods. Other than that, most people lived within a ten minute walk from the center of town.

Roland simply nodded back. "I know." Suddenly, he stood, kicking a patch of sand on his way up. "Well, I should get home. It's game night with Dad." Henry stood too, and a small smile creeped to his face. Game night with two people probably wasn't fun, but now a days that could consist of the two playing video games. Who knew anymore?

"I'm Rolan, by the way," he said, looking up at Henry. "Henry." The boy turned to go, but then paused. "If you're still here tomorrow, maybe you could play with me? I could bring some games or something."

Henry nodded. "Sure, if you want. I'll be here."

Roland grinned. An actual smile. "Maybe you could tell me your story." He didn't wait to see Henry's reaction. He quickly turned and set out of the park, heading down the road.

Henry's brows furrowed. The kid was smart, for a kid. Just like he had been. Maybe this town got to children, some more than others. Eight year olds weren't supposed to be that serious; Henry knew enough that they usually wanted to play games, watch TV, or hang out most of the time. Not talk about life stories.

Roland was even a little perspective. Henry believed it, because he had been the same. Of course, reading the storybook had given him the confidence to tell others who they really were. Roland, on the other hand, didn't have that. His imagination was limited with the fake life he had.

Things needed to get back to normal, and quick.

**Jefferson's House. Storybrooke, Maine. August 14****th****, 2026.**

Henry knew he couldn't say anything in front of Grace, but he had to speak to the Hatter. He had no idea what to do, other than get the book, then somehow make Emma believe that the book didn't just tell fairy tales, but actual people's lives. At the moment, Drake wasn't doing anything to harm them; after all, the Hatter had only brought the Truest Believer back to Storybrooke so that his daughter wouldn't get hurt. Now, no one was hurt. No one was in danger. Everyone was living happy lives, because their fake memories were normal.

He thought for a moment that maybe they were all better off, that the lives they thought they had were better than their actual ones. But then he remembered how he had felt over a decade ago. With his fake memories, he had wanted to go back to New York. But his home had been here, in this town, with these people. Even now he knew that. New York, and even Boston, was not his home. The people of the Enchanted Forest were his home. No, they deserved to know the truth, even if they didn't want to. He needed to finish this operation.

So that was why Henry stood outside Jefferson's house, knocking on his door. The Hatter himself showed up about twelve seconds later, but frowned at the visitor. "What is it that you want?"

Henry glared. "We need to talk. Set something up, get her out, come with me, do whatever, but you and I are talking, and she doesn't need to hear it."

Jefferson took a step back at the anger that rolled off the young man. He did as he was told. Twenty minutes later, Grace was safely tucked away with Mother Superior, helping her and the fairies with the annual candle thing, and the two men stepped into the Hatter's home.

Henry didn't hesitate to state why he was here. He had a feeling Jefferson already knew. "Aren't you worried at all?" It was a rhetorical question, and Henry continued to speak- rather loudly- without a response. "She deserves to know who you are. Don't you want that for her? We need to know why Drake is doing this. You're his friend. What else do you know about him?"

Jefferson glared, a frown of disgust crossing his face. "He is most certainly not my _friend_. He kidnapped my daughter! I had to do what he asked. And I told you most everything I know about him. Like he said, he's only following orders. I don't know if he enjoys his 'job,' whatever the hell that is. Why don't you go ask him yourself?"

Henry looked away. "I don't know, alright! I've never had to do this before." He sighed, his anger suddenly disappearing. He felt his shoulders slump in defeat. It was true. "My parents always hid me away with someone when they fought the bad guys. They were always trying to kill me, my family wanted to keep me safe. Now, I have no one. I'm on my own, with my own thoughts, and I don't know how to do it. I don't believe in myself, I can accept that, but I need _their_ skills, _their_ experience, and _their_ power to do this. All I can do is _believe_." He said the last word as if he were speaking the name of the thing he hated most, or the most disgusting thing he could think of.

He saw Jefferson shift in his peripheral vision. Suddenly he sounded hopeful. "You're the Truest Believer. You know that. You know how to use your power." Henry looked up at him, and the man looked a little sad. "That's all you can do. You need to believe in yourself, too, because if you just believe, you'll stop him. Drake's curse will end, your family will remember, but only if you believe." This last sentence sounded desperate, as if he was begging Henry to listen to him, to believe.

Henry looked back down. He searched deep inside himself, at what he needed to do. He needed to save his family; he had told himself this many times. But he doubted himself. He knew he was right, that he had no experience. His mother was the Savior, not him. He sighed. "I don't know if I can."

Jefferson sighed, and Henry looked up to see him rub at his forehead. The sigh pretty much said, _you are going to hate me for this, but you deserve to know_. "He's a dragon."

Henry's eyebrows lowered. "What?" Did he just say what he thought he said?

The Hatter nodded, dropping his hand. "As in fire-breathing, winged-and-scaley dragon."

"H-how do you know?" He didn't want to believe that. First of all, he looked like a normal guy, except for the icy eyes. Second, the only dragon he had known had been the one in the library basement.

Jefferson narrowed his eyes. "He's shown his fire at times. When he froze you earlier, and you felt that heat? That was a form of his fire."

Henry was only confused a second longer before he completely understood that this was really happening. "He's a dragon? Why the hell didn't you tell me earlier? He could have killed me!"

Jefferson shook his head, as if it was a silly question. "It made no difference at the time. A villain is a villain; expect them all to be strong and dangerous until you can prove that they're not."

Henry blinked. That was true. "But how is he human-looking?"

Jefferson rolled his eyes. "I don't know, kid! The point is that you're still alive."

Henry shook his head, turning away from the Hatter. "I can't believe this.

**The Library. Storybrooke, Maine. August 15th, 2026.**

Henry Mills needed inspiration, information, hope. He was alone in the quest to return the memories to those that lost them. Alone in a world where magic didn't exist, unless it was from a person.

He had had a drink, because what else was there to do? It was only one glass of whiskey, and he immediately regretted it when once again, another idea popped into his head. But he couldn't act on this one, there was no way. People could get hurt. _He_ could get hurt. Then the town would be doomed.

It involved threats, and even a hostage. Maybe if he were to act like he was going to harm someone, or actually did, that his mother, mother, or grandfather would attack him with magic. That would get them to believe. But no, it would be dangerous, and if it worked, they wouldn't trust him, even if they did remember him again. If anything, it would be his last option, and he would gladly accept his punishment. But not now.

Now, he had to convince someone other than himself. If he had support, other than Jefferson who they already thought was crazy, then maybe he'd have a better chance. At that moment he thought of only Roland.

The boy was similar to him as a child, and if he could only show him the book, the boy would be convinced. But how was Roland going to help Henry convince the others and Emma? He could convince his father, somehow, but what would Robin do? Tell his Merry Men, that was about it. He wasn't with Regina in this life. And so Regina couldn't help him. Not unless Roland helped him go to Regina, but why would she believe that she was The Evil Queen. Besides, it wasn't going to believe. He needed True Love's Kiss to seal the deal of bringing back memories. There were only four True Love couples in town that he knew of: Snow White and Prince Charming, Robin Hood and The Evil Queen, Emma Swan and Captain Hook, and Prince Phillip and Princess Aurora.

Snow White and Prince Charming were together, but in their fake lives, they didn't know they were True Love's. They hadn't gone through all the losses, and the I-will-always-find-you's. Without that, they didn't have as strong of a history. They were just Mr. and Mrs. Nolan.

Hook and Emma were also off the list, because even if they eventually did believe, it would take Emma forever to accept it, because she was so stubborn on not letting anyone in. Neal had done that to her, Graham had done that to her. Probably. Henry didn't know if she thought she lost these people, but he knew that she was stubborn anyway. It would take too long.

Henry would have to get Robin and Regina together quick, but how? When they had first gotten together, they had been protecting her heart from the Wicked Witch, in both the Enchanted Forest and when they had forgotten who they were back in Storybrooke. How would they fall in love again? With the help of Roland? "Accidently" bumping into each other?

Henry had no idea where Phillip and Aurora were; they had been here when he left ten years ago, but he hadn't seen them since, and Henry had seen a lot of familiar faces. Maybe they left back to the Enchanted Forest just after Henry had left for Boston.

So he was at a stalemate. He had gotten nowhere fast.

So then he had to think about Drake, the dragon. He thought: Why would a dragon need to protect someone? Then he remembered that was what they did; the one that Emma had defeated, and all other fairytale ones. They guarded princesses in palaces until a knight in shining armor could come to save them and kill the dragon. Fiona from Shrek, kind of Maleficent in Sleeping Beauty, though that wasn't true in real life, and sort of Hercules, but he was slaying a sea creature, not a dragon, per se.

Emma had killed a dragon that was protecting something, not someone. So maybe dragons were told to protect something in general. So Drake was protecting someone, and in fact it was someone. Henry immediately assumed it was a princess, but it didn't have to be true. He could be protecting something that someone had brought to Storybrooke.

So Henry had asked Jefferson who was knew around here, and Henry had received a list. But first, dragons.

And so Henry was stepping into the library that, since being re-opened by Belle, still looked wonderful. Said woman appeared only seconds after the bell above the door rung. She was wearing a lose blue dress that reached her knees, with one of those belts around the waist. Henry knew there was a name for that sort of dress, that covered all of the chest and kind of had sleeves, but he was a guy, he didn't intentionally memorize those things. Her brown hair was in a loose braid, and her eye shadow matched her dress.

Henry blinked, a small smile coming to his face at seeing his kind, step-grandmother. It was still odd to think of her and Rumplestiltskin married, and his grandparents at that. His family tree was definitely confusing, and he could dwell on it for hours, but he was here on business.

"Hi, how can I help you?" Belle asked with a smile.

"Hello," Henry said, stalling. He knew asking for a book about dragons was going to sound weird. Should he make up a story, or would Belle not ask questions. In the past she had been an adventurer, seeking out beasts on her own, learning all about them. In these fake memories, was she still interested in them? He would find out. "I was wondering if you had any books about dragons. Preferable histories of them, all about them, not a fictional story." His sentence grew quiet at how odd he thought it sounded.

But Belle smiled, and she gestured for him to follow her down a row across the library. "I know exactly what you're looking for," she told him as he followed, and only seconds later, she had turned down an aisle and stopped at a section. She pointed to the shelf just below the middle one, and pulled out a book with an orange spine. "This is where I would start," she told him, handing it to him. "But if you don't find what you're looking for, there are about six more." She gestured to the others that were in the general area of where the orange book had been.

Henry smiled again, holding up the book. "Thank you."

She nodded. "You're welcome. You may use the tables if you need them, even the one computer. It's a little slow, and sometimes you have to kick the monitor." She laughed, and he joined her. "If you plan on leaving, you can also use the copier. Same goes if it's slow."

Henry let out another laugh, and he thanked her again. "If you need me, I'm around," she told him, and then she was gone. Henry got right to it, grabbing most of the books, but started with the orange one. The book had a lot of information on the anatomy of the beasts, and myths that described the different types of dragons. In a way, it explained their strengths and weaknesses. The next one mentioned and gave a summary of all myths involving dragons, which proved to be helpful.

Henry decided that a hard copy would be helpful in the future, so he took up Belle's offer and copied all the important information, which happened to be a lot. After about a minute of the copier making its noise, Belle came out, probably to see what had been taking so long. It was probably loud for her, being right beside her office window.

The lie came out of him almost immediately as he looked up at her. "I'm writing a paper for college. I figured since I'm going to be in town for the week, I might as well do something useful." Once the paper slid out, Henry opened the top, flipped the page in the book, pressed the top back down, and hit the copy button.

Belle nodded, leaning against the edge of her office as she watched him. "What exactly is your paper on?"

Henry didn't know how to answer that, and what would sound believable. He shrugged. "Picking a fantasy and explaining how it came to belief. Why certain cultures pick the dragons and such." He shrugged again. "Then again, some people believe dragons lived on the planet millions of years ago, so that contradicts why people would make them up."

She nodded, and then she got carried away with other creatures that she knew of, and Henry smiled. It was good speaking with her after so long. The woman was probably the kindest of all realms. He wondered what her life was like now, with the fake memories. She certainly wasn't like Lacey. Then he wondered what her name was. "I'm Henry, by the way."

"Irene."

It was a good name.

**Granny's Diner. Storybrooke, Maine. August 15th, 2026.**

Henry became a hermit the rest of the day, studying up on dragons. He came to many conclusions on why Drake was in Storybrooke, but he didn't dwell on a specific one. He needed to confirm it before he took a step forward. At a later hour, well past dinner time, he took a break and headed downstairs to get a bite to eat. Seeing Granny, who was still willing to serve him at this hour, he was reminded of the money he owed for renting out a room. He had a few days left to get it in and ask to stay another week if he needed. Hopefully if he brought their memories back he wouldn't have to pay.

After he finished his dinner, he pulled out the list Jefferson had given him. The diner wasn't crowded, and but he still didn't want to chance anyone to glance at the list of people in town, so he was leaning awkwardly in the booth as he stared at it, trying to keep the names facing the wall instead of others. He recognized only a few of the names, but it wasn't odd. If these people were new to Storybrooke, it meant they had come after the first curse. It included Robin Hood and Roland, who were Lincoln's on the list. He would have to confirm who these people were before he began investigating who or why the dragon was here to protect.

Jefferson would probably be no help. Henry needed faces, and he was sure Jefferson wouldn't help with that; the man didn't want to seem "off his pills" again by stalking people.

Henry gasped aloud, ignoring the few glances he got in return. A yearbook. It would have faces and names side by side, telling him exactly who was who. It was brilliant! Belle would have yearbooks in the library, but she was most likely closed at this time of day. He sighed. Of course.

The Truest Believer stood, stuffing the list into his coat pocket. He should go up and get some rest, but he didn't. He needed to clear his head. It had only been two days, but he was still adamant to get this done as fast as he could. If it meant staying up all night thinking, then so be it.

**The Docks. Storybrooke, Maine. August 15th, 2026.**

He made his way out of the diner, thanking Granny as he did so. He got looks from the other patrons, making him remember that they thought he was a stranger in town for only the week.

Outside, the cool air nipped his nose, and he was thankful for the cool after the past few warm days. He walked towards the docks, because there wasn't as much light there, and he would be able to see the stars more clearly. His footsteps were the only sounds he heard but the crickets and rustling of trees, until he reached the water. Then he could hear the lapping of water against the cement, the slight clanking of metal on poles from the ships, and even toads or fish. It was calming, and he did get to see the stars.

He found a bench nearby and looked up, pointing out the more known constellations and even some of the rare ones. He could find them thanks to s certain pirate, who had taught his father the same way.

Speaking of the pirate, a quiet shout rang out at the docks, along with the sound of wood falling on wood. Henry straightened, searching for the sound. When he found it, it was only because of the lantern that was lit on the ship and another on the docks right off of it. Henry grinned, recognizing the voice and the carhartt from yesterday. From here, Henry wasn't sure what fell, but he could see the pirate tangled up in ropes against the center pole (LOOK UP). A barrel that he had been standing on must have fallen out from under him, and now he was stuck.

Henry stood and quickly made his way over, closer to the curses of the one-handed man trying to free himself. When he got close enough, he called out, "Let me help you with that."

Jones paused, searching for the newcomer. When he found Henry, he gave him a soft smile. "Ahh, the young investigator."

Henry laughed as he helped his friend free his right arm. It took a minute, but when he was free, he thanked Henry. Henry rubbed the back of his neck, standing awkwardly on the boat. "Actually, I lied when I said I was a Private Investigator."

He received the trademark eyebrow raise from the pirate who was now straightening the ropes. "Really, now."

Henry shrugged. "I was trying to find someone who could help me, I didn't lie about that."

"You think Lincoln can help you?" Killian asked, busy at work.

Henry, feeling like he was intruding, stepped off the ship. "I did. I still do." He sighed. "I don't know anymore."

Killian let out a chuckle. "You seem troubled."

Henry nodded. "You don't know the half of it." He watched as Hook straightened the barrel, and set some lose ropes atop of it. "Anyways, I was just trying to relax when I saw that you needed help. I'll just be on my way."

He made to step away, but the man's voice stopped him. "You came _here_ to relax?"

Henry smirked, meeting the man's curious gaze. "A friend once taught me how to read the stars. I thought I'd see them better here."

The pirate nodded. "Your friend knows what he's talking about, lad." He looked up at the night sky.

"He does, yeah," Henry said quietly, looking up at the stars with him. Little did he know Henry was talking about him. Henry shifted, deciding to change the subject. "So, what are you doing out here so late?"

Killian laughed. "I couldn't sleep, so I thought I'd try to fix a few things up." He looked around. "I think I'm done for the night." He paused, meeting Henry's amused gaze. "Do you want a beer?"

How could he say no to that?

Ten minutes later, the two were sitting in lawn chairs at the highest point of the ship, looking up at the stars. Killian was telling him about his fake memories, how he learned to man a ship. His brother had taught him. "On the weekends, it would just be the two of us, since our pa was at work. We'd take her out and fish, and I'd always get the bigger ones." He looked down and away, trailing off, taking a sip of his beer.

Henry knew that his brother Liam was dead, so he had to be in the fake memories, too. He could also see the pain on his face. "I'm sorry."

Jones nodded, with a mumbled thanks. Henry decided to take the attention from him. He looked out towards the water, feeling his shoulders slump. "My mom was in jail when she had me, so she wasn't allowed to keep me. So I was adopted. I didn't have any siblings, and my mom was the major, so she was always busy. She was also evil, so it's not like I wanted to hang out with her." He let himself laugh, though it wasn't heartfelt. He saw the pirate listening beside him. "I was alone as a kid. But then I met my real mom, brought her to the small town, and it turned out, my mom wasn't so evil after all. I had a family that loved me and would go to the edge of the world to save me."

Henry cleared his throat, the confession leaving him a little guilty. He stood, setting the almost empty beer down in his seat. "Thanks for the beer, man."

Killian raised his bottle to him. "Aye, I know a man who needs a drink when I see him."

Henry laughed, then let himself off the ship. At the end of the dock, he turned and looked back at the pirate, still sitting next to the empty chair. It had been nice, drinking with the man. It had been the first time he had drank with someone he called a friend. He certainly hadn't been able to ten years ago. A friend. No, Killian Jones was more than a friend. He was family.

**The Library. Storybrooke, Maine. August 16th, 2026.**

Henry returned to the library immediately when it opened. He was there early in the morning, because he knew he wouldn't be able to sleep in long. So he sat outside the door for a little under an hour, until he saw Belle approaching. He looked up hearing her heels clicking against the road, and stood when he spotted her.

When she saw him, she grinned. "Finishing up your research?" She asked, unlocking the door.

He gave her a smile back, faking anticipation. "Of course." But inside, he felt like he could sleep for days. He needed coffee, or an adrenaline shot. Maybe even a mind-wipe. The stress and worry was getting to him.

She led him into the building, easily taking her bad and coat off as she headed to her office. "Just give me a minute and I'll be glad to help you."

Henry waved his hand at her. "Oh, no, it's fine. I know exactly where I'm going."

She paused and glanced back at him, slightly surprised. "Oh. Aright then. If you need me…" she trailed off, pointing to her office. He nodded to her. "I know where to find you."

He waited for her to go into her office and settle in before he searched for the yearbooks. Once he found them, he was grateful that she wouldn't be in a line of sight of him. He pulled down three or four, then dropped to the floor, pulling out his list in one swift motion.

He got to work quickly, searching for names and faces, and crossing out all the names that he knew with a pen by comparing the pictures. Curses were definitely weird when they made fake yearbooks just to throw off everyone, but everything had to be precise in order to keep the townspeople clueless. Thinking of this made Henry tighten his fists on the book he was holding. Damn villains, thinking they can do whatever they want. These people were innocent!

He quickly pushed those thoughts away, knowing he had to keep calm to finish the task. He would break later. Now, he had to keep calm.

By the time he had looked through all the yearbooks and crossed out everyone he knew, he was left with three people he didn't know. These names didn't include Drake, who supposedly had only been a few grades under his parents and grandparents, according to the yearbooks.

Henry put the books back, grateful that Belle hadn't come out to check on him. Then he stared down at the names. He needed to know who they were. Hopefully, they would know something new about Drake and why he was here. Then, Henry could bring back the memories of the ones he loved.

There were only three names on the list left that he didn't know. Pete Barnes, Jane Kyle, and Lucas Lane. He put the names into his memory, so he wouldn't have to bring the list everywhere he went.

Once he did this, he ripped the paper to shreds, found a garbage can, and disposed of the paper. He told Belle goodbye as he repeated the names over, then returned to his room at Granny's.

**Room 2B. Above Granny's Diner. Storybrooke, Maine. August 16th, 2026.**

All his research on dragons were laid out before the Truest Believer, and he leaned back in a chair by the table, staring down at it. There were many different contradictions in it, but Henry came to summarize that most dragons were different, and that in most myths, they guarded a princess. Most of the time, it never says why it guards the princess, which Henry found odd.

Drake had said that he was doing a job, which meant that he was pretty much being forced to do it. Maybe against his will, part of his duty in a partnership, or because he felt he needed to in order to accomplish his task. Either way, the dragon could be stopped; Henry just had to figure out how.

Should he stop the dragon then save his parents? No, because he needed help, and Jefferson wasn't going to cut it. He needed his family, because they had defeated villains so many times before.

Finally ignoring the dragon, he turned his attention to the princess he was guarding. Jane Kyle; it had to be. Drake was guarding Jane, but from what? Again, the myths never really said why the dragon guarded the princess, and it just didn't make sense to Henry. Why would a dragon randomly keep everyone away from a princess? Usually, a knight saved the princess and married her after slaying the dragon. Had the knight been brought to Storybrooke? What was the dragon's goal?

If Henry could get to the princess, maybe she would know something. He couldn't just go around asking who Jane Kyle was; he would sound creepy and stalker-ish. Maybe if he asked Roland later, because he had promised the kid they'd meet at the castle again. Why did the kid want to hang out with him? Henry didn't have a clue.

He hadn't really liked the company of children, but Roland was different. He was somewhat a brother, and Henry owed it to him. Henry knew what it was like, but he had also ditched the boy ten years ago.

The Truest Believer refocused his attention back to the dragon, for now. He needed to find a weakness in Drake; all dragons have a weakness, whether it's myth or fact. Henry just had to find Drake's.

* * *

A/N: So, this is all I have left. I really wish I could rewrite everything, but I know it won't be the same. Henry was going to find the princess that Drake was guarding, and the princess's parents were going to be the ones controlling Drake. The parents had wanted their daughter to find True Love, so they wanted to keep her immortal with Drake, keep her protected, until they could, until she could find True Love. But Henry had already fallen in love with her, her True Love, and they were going to save Storybrooke, Drake and everyone and live happily ever after as a family that were all around the same age.

Maybe, in the future, I will work up the courage to try to rewrite it, but not now. Again, I apologize, and I just feel horrible.


End file.
